Editor’s Note: Jim Taylor of Winters, Calif., wrote this Letter to the Editor, published Sunday (May 10) in the Vacaville, Calif., Reporter, taking the state of California to task for sales tax and licensing fees that make operating a motorhome in the Golden State – even on an occasinal basis – a difficult proposition.

I sympathize with the letter writer who complained that his car registration had increased by 21% (“Don’t assist money-grab,” April 15), and I felt compelled to add my story.

Last year we bought a motorhome out of state. I really thought about registering it in a different state, but decided I would do the right thing and register it in California. I paid more than $13,000 in sales tax and $1,100 for a license plate. (Yes, it’s a nice motorhome). We just received the new tag and it’s just a few dollars under $2,000.

This is for a 3-year-old vehicle that we will probably put 5,000 miles a year on, half of which will be out of state. How can anyone justify that?

I also have a 5-year-old pickup that cost $370 to register last year, so I suppose it will be $700 this year, not to mention a year-old Toyota that will probably be about the same. Let me assure you, we are not wealthy. We live in a modest, 1,400-square-foot home and I worked almost 47 years in construction to reach this point. These fees are totally unjustified.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected on the promise to roll back license fees and then, like all the rest, he did a flip-flop.

I am so angry with the whole Legislature I will never vote for any of them or any of their legislation, except to bring their pay in line with the average person and eliminate all of their health club memberships, per diems, perks, etc.

I’m sorry, but I don’t think those Tea Parties are going to change anything. If you want to get their attention, change your voter registration to American Independent or anything besides Republican or Democrat and then vote them all out. Don’t listen to their empty promises. There are lots of qualified people who could run this state. How could we do worse?

If one of our so-called representatives should read this, I would ask what they think this will do to vehicle sales in this state. Surely the gains in increased fees will be lost in sales.